


Gestures Speak Louder than Words

by bezlque



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: !!!, Deafness via meningitis, Dorks in Love, F/F, F/M, HOH!marty, Kippen Siblings, M/M, Sign Squad+Amber is a thing because i said so, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Swearing, also muffy, amber is their older sister, and jibby, background ambi, because jibby rights, deaf!tj, flirty!cyrus, hes totally flirty, idk - Freeform, kinda??, libby and tj are twins, platonic tarty is arty, sibling!!banter!!, this is really long im sorry, tj is a blushing mess i love him, tj sucks at asl in the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 09:17:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18029024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bezlque/pseuds/bezlque
Summary: Everyone gets a soulmate mark on their 13th birthday, with the first words your soulmate ever says to you. If you talk first, your mark is red. If you talk second(or more), your mark is blue. When they meet and say their words, the marks turn purple.When Cyrus woke up on his 13th birthday, the last thing he expected was a soulmate mark with hand symbols.Or, the story where TJ and Cyrus are soulmates and Cyrus learns ASL for him.(Rated T for swearing)





	Gestures Speak Louder than Words

**Author's Note:**

> hi! welcome to the mess that is this fic! it turned out way longer than i thought it would and i didn't even think i'd get this far. have fun reading, i hope you like it!
> 
> ps, thank you so much to Sarah (@heart-eyes-kippen on tumblr) and Innayah (@tjskipping on tumblr) for helping me and hyping me up for this, thank you both so much!! and another thank you to Cashmere (@tyrusvibes on tumblr) For helping me with things i didn't want to get wrong. you're an absolute angel and such a wonderful friend!!

When Cyrus woke up on his 13th birthday, he expected several things. He was ready to show all his friends and family his mark. He ached to gush over the words and re-read them over and over. To fantasize about the person that he's been waiting for all his life. He yearned to know what their eyes would look like, how they act, what they love to do, what's important to them, and so on. To jump up out of bed and look all over his body to find his mark and commit those very words to memory.

However, what he most definitely did not expect, was to find a few bright blue moving hand symbols on his hip.

(Holy mother of god, he's so cute.)

Cyrus immediately ran to his mother and step-dad, sobbing frantically, desperately asking what was wrong, and if his soulmate was okay.

"Mom I don't know what's wrong! Is my mark broken? What do I do? Are they hurt?," He rambled desperately, tears running down his face.

"Cyrus, calm down. What on Earth are you talking about?" Cyrus slowly pulled up his shirt to show his parents his mark, the bright blue hand symbols shifting on his hip. He continued to sob seeing his parent's reactions.

"I just need to know they're okay" Cyrus spat out weakly. They both shared a look, smiling softly at one another.

"Cyrus, they're okay," His mother said, hugging him tightly. She pulled away and brushed over his mark, "You see this?" He nodded his head meekly, sniffling. "All that means is that your soulmate communicates through hand signs, okay? It's another language. It's like how some people have their marks in Spanish or Norwegian, rather than English. All your mark means is that they speak a different language than you. Wherever they are Cyrus, I promise you that they are okay." Cyrus smiled softly, hugging her tightly.

"Okay."  
\------

The minute TJ woke up on his 13th birthday, he was overjoyed. He had practically been counting down the days to when he'd be able to see his mark. TJ desired to meet his person so badly. The one person in the world that would always be there for him, who would understand him, to be a best friend and a lover, and love him unconditionally.  
TJ shot up out of bed posthaste, chucking his comforter to the ground, finding the closest mirror he possibly could. Green eyes wandered over his arms and legs, not viewing anything out of the ordinary. He pulled his shirt off swiftly, only to discover the red script on his collarbone. He paused, taking a deep breath before reading the intricate deep red letters.

It's you.

TJ's eyes filled up with tears. He laughed elatedly, running his fingers over the words over and over again. He may not know what it means right now, but none of that mattered. All he knew was that whoever the person is, that is his person, his other half.

His better half.

The laurel-eyed boy tugged a shirt over his head, running downstairs as fast as his legs could carry him, almost slipping on the kitchen floor in the process. Then, he heard a burst of laughter from the other side of the island. TJ looked up to meet his (hysterically laughing) older sister and his twin's gaze. He let out a lopsided smile, amusing his twin. TJ ran around the counter between Libby and Amber, turning to Libby and signing frantically, and her face contorted. TJ sighed. His twin became deaf after developing meningitis the year before, and he was fully aware that he was awful at signing. TJ focused as hard as he could and signed slowly.

"Libby, did you find your mark?" Libby laughed.

"You are aware that you don't have to fingerspell my name, right? I know you're talking to me. Plus, my sign name is way easier, " TJ sulked, sticking his tongue out at her.  
"I'm sorry, I can't sign for my life, it's the letter L, and flower right?" he looked to Amber for confirmation. She nodded. TJ made a face.

"Amber's is way easier, " he signed poorly. Libby scoffed.

"My name isn't that complicated to sign. Amber's name is easier for you because her sign name has one symbol rather than two. Two symbols won't kill you TJ, "

"Blonde is easier to sign than L flower!"

"Yeah okay, and we all have black hair, " Amber butted in.

"But we don't-"

"That's the point, nimrod, " Amber said, pleased with herself.

TJ kept waiting for his twin, still bouncing with excitement, "Well?" Libby laughed as she took in his shaking stature.

"Yes TJ, I did find my mark, "

"Can I watch it?"

"Did you mean 'Can I see it'?" Amber signed and spoke, raising her eyebrows.

"That's what I said!" Libby snorted while Amber laughed along. TJ pouted.

"MOM, AMBER AND LIBBY ARE TEASING ME AGAIN! " A blonde haired tall woman with chestnut brown eyes popped her head in the doorway.

"What'd he sign wrong this time?"

Amber burst into a fit of giggles, repeating their mother's words to Libby.

"What, MOM THAT'S NOT-"

"I love you all! Your lunch money is on the counter, okay? Bye dears!" blowing a kiss at her three children before rushing out the door.

"He's psycho, " Libby signed, making a face. Amber covered her mouth striving to hide her very obvious laughter.

"That hurt, "

"You have no idea what she just said do you?" Amber said pointedly.

"Not a clue."  
TJ was still jumping back and forth in anticipation, biting his lip.

"Come on, please? I found mine and we already listen enough about Amber's, "

"Did you mean 'We already hear enough about Amber's'?"

"NOT NOW AMBER, "

Amber raised her hands in surrender, triumph on her face.

"Fine, you can see it, as long as you show me yours first, " Libby signed, smirking. TJ threw his head back and groaned.

"Why do I have to go first?" he grumbled childishly.

"I'm older. So what I say is law, "

"BY 3 MINUTES, " He whined. She read his lips, snickering. Libby turned to the side and dragged down her shoulder strap, exposing the bright red print on her back.

I could say the same about you.

TJ stared in awe, squealing giddily. TJ pulled the hem of his shirt down to expose the red flowy script embedded into his clavicle. Libby ran her index finger over the words delicately.

"Whoever they might be, they are lucky to have you as their soulmate." TJ's eyes watered. He clutched his sister's hand, smiling through the tears.

"They, " Pointing to her mark, "are even luckier to have you. " he murmured slowly. She read his lips and broke out into a grin, clasping his hand tightly. Amber beamed at the exchange between the twins, watching them pull each other into an embrace.

"Alright come on, both of you. You need to get ready, the bus will be here soon, " Amber kissed them both on the forehead, shoving them up to their rooms. She grinned faintly, tracing over the loopy handwriting on her forearm. Amber remembered the chaos and excitement of her 13th birthday. She simpered lovingly at her mark. She could hardly wait for the day that she would get to meet her and her siblings' other halves.

The twins ran downstairs, changed with their backpacks on. They both smiled at their older sister, pulling her into a big group hug. Amber ruffled the twin's hair.

"Now get outta here, the both of you. "  
\------

When Cyrus got to school that morning, he ran to Buffy in a frenzy, stumbling over his words and shouting.

"Buffy I just don't know what to do, or how to learn, I'll never get it-"

"Whoa whoa slow down Cyrus! Go again, but slowly, okay?"

"Okay, so I got my mark-"

"WAIT REALLY?? CAN I SEE IT??"

"Yes, but I'll have you know that this is the main source of my panic at the moment, " Cyrus showed Buffy the bright blue moving hand signs. She gaped at them in total shock, watching the hands shift. "It means my soulmate knows sign language. Which, by the way, I have little to no knowledge of whatsoever. Buffy, what am I supposed to do? I don't know where I'd go to learn, or what type of sign language it is, like is it British?? Or Australian?? They are hundreds of different varieties of sign language. How am I supposed to know which version they know? That isn't even mentioning how I'll learn it..."

"Cyrus, "

"What if it's not even a language you can look up?? Like- what if it's a language my soulmate made up? Then I'll never know how to understand them or what they're saying-"

"Cyrus! " Buffy repeated.

"God, what if they hate me for not knowing their language?? Or not speaking it correctly??What if I learn and then sign everything completely wrong? Or what if I just learned the wrong one??"

"CYRUS!" She screeched.

"...Yes?"

" I can help you learn it if you want? Maybe with two people, you'd understand it better?"

" That would be amazing, but I still don't know what type of sign language it is, "Cyrus groaned exasperatedly.

"Hey, " Buffy said, her features softening. " We can figure it out together. I'll be there every step of the way, okay? You'll be okay. I promise, "

"I'm so glad I told you. " Cyrus sighed, relieved.

"Yeah. Me too. " Buffy smiled sweetly, pulling Cyrus into a bone-crushing hug.  
\------

The week somehow managed to spiral from the best week of TJ's life, directly into the worst week of his life.

At the start, all TJ had were headaches. Granted, they were appalling, ear-splitting migraines that threatened to crack his skull open, but they were just headaches. TJ could manage that. The school work was tough to focus on sure, but he'd always had issues paying attention. The week was dreadful, and the headaches just grew more atrocious. Which of course had to get worse and stem into vomiting.

"Excuse me, is this Mrs. Kippen?"

"It's Miss but yes. Who is this?"

"This is Mrs. Levine, The school nurse. I'm calling about TJ. He vomited several times and has a terrible migraine. The school requires that he's to be sent home as soon as possible. How long will it take for you to get here?"

"I should be able to get there in 15 minutes tops. If you can, please tell his older twin, Libby that her brother won't be on the bus with her this afternoon. "  
"Of course, I'll tell him that you're on your way. "

It just worsened from there. The vomiting became eventually became constant. Next came the rapid high-rise fevers. One minute TJ was at fine, and the next he was burning up. He couldn't get through one class period without running to the bathroom and throwing up at least twice. His doctor put TJ on bedrest, but it wasn't doing any good. All the medicine seemed to be making the symptoms more severe.

"Amber?" TJ slurred,

"What's wrong? Do you need more water?"

"No, no it's too bright, I need the lights off, " He spoke, slurring the words and syllables so that they were barely recognizable.

Amber froze.

"What?" She said, speechlessly.

"It's too bright, can you turn the lights off? My eyes hurt, " He dragged out the words and hid his face in his hands.

Amber pulled her lips into a thin line. She stared at her brother, lying in bed with his hands covering his eyes and whining dramatically. She hastily sped across the hall to Libby's room and poked her.

"Libby, I think I know what's wrong with TJ, "

"What do you mean?"

"At the beginning of the week, it started with a headache right?"

"Yeah, "

"Then vomiting, and constant fevers that would come and go like that, "

"Yeah, but- "

"Libby, he just asked me to turn the lights off, "

"So? Did you do it- "

"There were no lights on, Libby. The only light was from outside coming through the curtain, "

Libby stopped signing immediately, staring into her sister's eyes.

"He couldn't speak properly. It was all slurred and fuzzy. TJ looked completely out of it."

Libby's eyes widened, brimming with tears.

"Amber that's what happened when I- "

"I know Libby, " Amber said dejectedly.

"So what do we do? How did I not notice? The symptoms were so different from mine, but now they're all matching up...I'm such an idiot. We need to help somehow-"

"Hey, stop. You aren't an idiot, okay? We just need to stand by him. We were by your side when you needed it. Now we need to do the same for him, got it? "

Libby stared off out the window, sighing shakily.

"Yeah. Okay. "

Amber pulled her into a firm hug, feeling her little sister's tears dampening her shirt. She held on tighter, kissing her temple softly, tears welling up in her eyes as well.  
"He'll be okay. I promise. " Amber whispered into Libby's hair, trying to convince herself too.

By the end of the week, TJ could no longer speak. He would only groan, whine, whimper and point at things around him. He would occasionally sign, even though half the time it made little to no sense, but he was trying.

On the 8th night, he woke up screaming drastically, waking up Amber and his mother immediately. Amber ran down the hallway to his room, pushing the door open to see TJ pulling at his ears and twisting and turning violently on the bed. His whole body was trembling.

"TJ, TJ what's wrong? I need you to calm down, please-"

TJ started wailing, tears running down his face.

"Amber it hurts, please make it stop, " TJ stuttered. He sobbed louder, mumbling out 'please' nonstop, like a mantra. He looked like he wanted to rip his ears off.

"You're okay TJ you'll be okay, I got you alright?" Amber said softly while holding him still. Libby and their mother burst into the room, panic explicit on their faces. Libby ran to his side, putting her hands over the ones shielding TJ's ears.

"TJ, I need you to breathe, can you do that for me? Just follow what I do, "Amber yelled frantically. Libby breathed along with her, trying to get TJ to match them.

"Hello, 911? I need an ambulance here as soon as possible. Somethings wrong with my son. "

The paramedics arrived promptly, sirens blaring around the family as they loaded TJ into the ambulance. Amber pulled a sobbing Libby into her chest, clutching her tightly as tears ran down her face.  
\------

"So, it's American sign language?"

"Based on the movements, yes it is. However, each person signs slightly differently, according to this at least. But most of it matches up perfectly, " Buffy exclaimed, proud of her research.

"So?? What does it say??" Cyrus said eagerly, bouncing in his seat.

"Wait aw, Cyrus..." Buffy swooned, eyeballing the symbols on his side.

"What? What happened? Were we wrong? Is it something else-"

"Cyrus, no, that's not what I meant," Buffy cut him off, waving her hands.

"...Oh,"

" I was talking about what it says, Cyrus, "

"Oh, " Cyrus squeaked, embarrassed.

" Yeah, oh, " Buffy replied smugly. Cyrus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly." It says 'Holy mother of god he's cute,' " Buffy said lovingly. Cyrus could feel himself blushing as he heard the words. They both turned to one another, letting out a squeal of delight. After their outburst, they both hardened their expressions.

" Alright Cyrus, are you ready to do this? " Buffy asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be. " Cyrus said, grabbing his best friend's hand.

" Operation: ASL ABCs is a-go! "  
\------

TJ was fast asleep on the bed, his twin gripping his hand tightly as his older sister was crying into her mother's chest. The door creaked open as a person in a white lab coat entered the room.

"I'm Dr. Mathilde, and you are Miss Kippen I presume?"

"Yes, that's me, "

"And the other two are?"

"His twin and older sister, "

"Ah, I see. It's nice to meet all of you. Although not under the best of circumstances I'm afraid. Well, all tests we gave TJ all have positive results, and only show one striking anomaly. Is there a history of meningitis on either side of the family?"

"Yes, on their father's side. His twin had it over a year ago, "

"That appears to be what your son has been suffering through for the past week. Thankfully, there is no brain damage or anything that will affect his learning ability in any way, " they then grimaced at the paper in front of them, their face dropping, "Despite his strength, his meningitis hadn't been treated with any medication for it during the past week."  
Amber pulled back from her mother's chest, shakily crying.

"Does that mean that he's-?"She whispered, crestfallen.

"Yes, " he sighed shakily, "Your brother will no longer be able to hear."

Amber broke out into heartbroken sobs as she latched tightly to her mother. Their mother gently nudged Libby and signed what the doctor had just said to them. Libby's heart dropped as she watched her mother's hands. Tears formed in her eyes as she clutched TJ's hand impossibly tighter, digging her head into his sleeping form.  
\------

"Wait... what do you do for the letter P??" Cyrus asked, clearly perplexed.

"Put your hand like this, " Buffy said waveringly, decidedly on the fence with her actions.

"But?? Isn't that the same as K??"

"Yes? I mean, no?? I mean like... kinda??" Cyrus' face scrunched up "I have no idea, Cyrus, "Buffy sighed, exasperated. Buffy's face contorted, staring at the hands with confusion. Her eyes lit up in realization.

"Ohh, I get it! The P faces up and is less spread out, while the K is down and more open, " She said boastfully. Buffy proceeded to sigh defeatedly, "I lied, it's the other way around, "  
"We're such a mess, " Cyrus said, facepalming.

"Yeah, I know."  
\------

TJ woke up in an unfamiliar bed. Everything smelled like bleach, and he felt like he had slept on a rock. He opened his eyes to hastily shut them again due to the obnoxiously bright fluorescent lights on the ceiling. He called out for someone to shut the lights off.

Silence.  
No response.

He tried again.

Silence.  
No response.

He couldn't hear anything.  
Not a word.  
Not a sound.  
Not even himself.

TJ's eyes shot open, squinting from the harsh light. His eyes darted around the room, finding his clothes on the ground, and multiple IVs in his hand. He felt someone holding his hand, along with a weight on his right leg. He turned to the opposite side to reveal his sleeping twin passed out on his thigh. His mom and sister were unconscious, grasping each other with noticeable tear tracks on their faces. He tried to ask for them.

But he heard nothing.

TJ shifted on the cot, and Libby's head jerked to meet his eyes. Her eyes widened, turning to Amber and their mother. Libby shook them gently, waiting for them to wake up. Their eyes both cluttered open, meeting Libby's gaze. She pointed at TJ, causing both their heads to whip his direction. Amber ran to him and gripped his hand, sobbing. He gaped at them, worried. He stuttered softly.

"Something's wrong with my ears. I can't hear anything,"

Amber and his mother nodded solemnly. TJ took in his twin's pained appearance. He followed his gaze to Amber, who was averting her eyes. His eyes sunk in realization. He retracted his hand from Amber's secure grip and signed very crudely.

"I won't be able to hear again, will I?"

They all shared a distressed look. Libby sat on the bed beside him, holding his hand. She had tears in her eyes.

" I'm so sorry TJ, " Libby signed, heartbroken.

TJ paused. He reached for his mark and gripped the area tightly while tears gathered in his eyes. He was practically counting the hours to when he would be able to hear those magic words. The day that someone would say it and he would know. Now he would never be able to hear it at all.

"It's you," 

His mother looked at him confused. TJ just gripped the hospital gown tighter, scrunching the fabric around his collarbone as tears now trailed down his face. He whispered out brokenly.

"It's you."

She then placed her hand on top of TJ's gingerly, his eyes following her movements. TJ nodded at her emitting a soft, broken breath. She then pulled back the gown to reveal his collarbone, with his mark on it. Her face contorted as she covered her mouth. TJ then let out a heart-wrenching sob as he mumbled 'It's you' over and over. Libby and Amber held each other as tightly as they could.  
\------

"Why are some of the numbers the same but you shake them??? That doesn't make sense..." Buffy trailed off in rage.

"Buffy, they make perfect sense. You're just bitter because you can't get any of them, " Cyrus replied, monotone.

"HEY!" she snapped.

"Am I wrong?"

"...No," Buffy huffed.

"That's what I thought." Cyrus smiled at her, moving her hand into the correct position, "Now you see? It should look like this. " Buffy stared at her hands, gawking at the odd symbol.

"It still doesn't make sense, "

"Still bitter-"

"SHUT IT CYRUS."

"Wait, Buffy, what about sign names?? Aren't those a thing?"

"Um, are those words you use instead of fingerspelling out someone's name??"Buffy answered, confusion evident in her expression.

"I think? I could be wrong though, so I have no idea. Come on, please? It'll be fun, I swear!! " He begged.

" Well how about we give each one for now, and if it's not right or doesn't make any sense, we change it. Okay?" Buffy answered hesitantly.

"Okay! Cool, um..." Cyrus squinted at Buffy, clearly doing some form of analyzation. He then lit up, "I know! Strong!!" Buffy cocked her head to the side.

"Ya know, strong, because you're so amazing and talented, and you always stand up for what you believe in..." Buffy awed at his adorable explanation. She then thought for a moment.

"C Star, "Cyrus caught her gaze, puzzled. "C star, because you were the light in my life when my mom left, and you're still the light in my life now. "  
Cyrus pouted at Buffy, softening her hard expression.

"You wanna hug me, don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do." Cyrus squeaked out giddily.

"Get over here you idiot."  
\------

TJ spent every day with his sisters. Amber was talking with him to help him maintain his voice, while Libby was attempting to perfect his sign language. He would sign every day, but he couldn't seem to understand it.

"TJ?"

"Yeah?"

"I know that you've had a lot of issues with learning sign, but I wanted to see if one of my friends could help you, "

" I don't wanna bother anybody. They don't have to if they don't want two, "

" TJ I can assure you, he wants to help, "

"Hi TJ, it's nice to meet you. I'm Marty, "

"It's nice to meet you two, " TJ signed shakily. Marty tilted his head in dismay. Libby winced.

"This is what we're working with, " Libby signed, " Do you think we can do it?" Marty made a face at her. He inhaled sharply.

"I think we can try," Marty said, a confident smile covering his face. He outstretched his hand to TJ, "Deal?" TJ smirked, grabbing ahold of the shorter boy's hand.

"Deal."

"Now, before we start with anything, you need to understand basic statements, "

"Okay, I think I can do that. Like what? "

"Nothing too complicated, just the necessities. Simple questions, such as 'are you deaf?' , 'are you hard of hearing?', 'what's your name?', how to reply, and more." Marty signed proudly. TJ gulped, frightened.

"You have no idea what I just said, do you?" Marty mouthed while signing. TJ grinned sheepishly.

"I understand some of it?" He signed doubtfully. Marty raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"That's better than nothing. We can work with this, " Libby nodded along, smiling devilishly.

"Let's do this."  
\------

"I'm no hope!" TJ signed violently.

"Hopeless?" Marty and Libby corrected, exhausted.

"...I was close, " TJ retorted. Marty and Libby shared a look, shrugging. The three contemplated off into the distance, perplexed on how they would solve this problem.

"TJ, what centers you?" Marty mouthed and signed to TJ slowly.

"You mean like, what calms me down?" TJ replied, raising a brow. Marty perked up, smiling widely.

"Yes, exactly! " TJ pondered for a moment, trying to muster things he used to do that weren't hearing related.

" I guess... Basketball? But that was about it- " Marty's mouth unhinged, jaw practically on the floor.

"Basketball! That could do it! " He signed excitedly to Libby, " That's how I learned. I found something that centered me, and then it came much easier to me, "

"How would I be able to play? Wouldn't you need to hear the other players, you know, to know when to pass?" TJ signed, puzzled.

"It's pretty much the same, but the players use signs instead. Once you know them, it's easy. Do you wanna try? "He signed and spoke ecstatically. TJ weighed his options thoroughly. One, trying to focus an unconventional way. Or two, continue to be wretched at whatever he was striving to learn.

"Yeah. Let's go, "

They both went outside to Marty's driveway. Marty showed him every sign. First what it meant, and then when to use it.

"So we use this to signal to pass, and lastly, this one to shoot, "

"Those are, surprisingly easy, "

"Here, we'll start slow and-" TJ casually shot a basket over his head, getting a basket first try. He raised his eyebrows, smug expression adorning his face.

"Oh, it's on TJ. "  
\------

3 years later

Cyrus was walking to lunch with Buffy, Andi, and Jonah.

"Guys seriously can you please change my sign name?? It's dumb! "

"Is it because it sounds childish? "

"Kind of, but it's mostly something else," Jonah replied cryptically. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Come on Jonah, it's not that bad, " Andi said.

"No, it's just that now that I know what it means, I'm not so sure anymore," he threw his hands in the air, "Why can't mine be at least decent? Andi's name is sunshine! That makes sense!" Buffy smiled wide.

"Is it because you're self-conscious of your dimple?" Buffy said teasingly.

"He doesn't like it because dimple is signed on the wrong side, " Cyrus continued with a grin.

"...I'm not responding to that." The three shared a look, breaking out into a series of giggles. Jonah pouted, turning away.

"Guys it's not funny!" he whined. Cyrus attempted to stifle his laughter. Then, all of a sudden, the leader of the boy's basketball team approached the four of them. Reed sneered at the four friends smugly.

"So..." he smirked, cracking his knuckles, "These are the four with the deformed soulmarks." Buffy's face hardened as she heard those words. She walked right in front of him, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"How dare you speak to us like that, " Buffy seethed. Cyrus, Andi, and Jonah stood tall behind her. Reed scoffed in her face.

"You're all just angry because your soulmates are disabled, " he retorted. Buffy, clenched her fists. Cyrus reached out to her.

"Buffy, he's not worth it, " Cyrus said pleadingly.

"Come on, let's just go, " Andi agreed, tugging Buffy's arm.

"Seriously, Buffy. It's okay, " Jonah continued.

Reed smirked and pushed Buffy as hard as he could. She fell to the floor in pain. Reed laughed hysterically while the rest of the team watched from behind him. Two of the players shared looks at their captain(who should be their role model)'s cruel behavior.

Cyrus could feel the anger building up within himself as Buffy teared up. Cyrus advanced in front of Buffy, puffing out his chest angrily. Reed cackled in her face, but she held her frame and pushed herself up to her elbows.

"God would you just back off already!" Cyrus exploded at the smug blonde, "She deserves a soulmate just as much as you do. Just leave her, Andi, and Jonah out of this." Reed raised his eyebrows at Cyrus' bold statement. Cyrus' eyes widened when he'd finally realized what he had done. He'd essentially thrown wood into the fire. Reed snarled manically, approaching Cyrus.

"Oh really now?" he answered venomously. Cyrus held his frame and stood up tall, glaring at Reed. He knocked his fist into Cyrus's chest with all his might, throwing Cyrus to the floor. The blow had knocked the wind right out of him. He gasped for breath, head banging against the ground. Cyrus' vision blurred all around him.

"Cyrus please talk to me! You need to keep your eyes open, please!" Andi called desperately.

"Someone, get the nurse!" Jonah announced in a frenzy.

The two boys from the team ran forward, one running to Buffy while the other ran up to Andi, Jonah, and Cyrus. The brunette grabbed Buffy's arm, pulling her up to a sitting position. He looked into her eyes, scanning for any sign of pain. He used her side to hold her up as he signed.

"Are you okay?" He signed slowly, looking over her body for injuries. Buffy gasped as she felt her mark start to burn, the warmth spreading through her body.

"Yes! Um, yeah. I'm okay, " The boy's eyes bugged out of his head as she stared at him hopefully. He smiled at her.

"I'm Marty," he said, out of breath, "Nice to meet you." Buffy smiled sweetly at the flushed boy in front of her.

"Buffy. "

Meanwhile, the other boy was helping Andi and Jonah keep Cyrus' head up. Cyrus tried to move his head and look around, but then all faded to black.

"Can you help me get him to the nurse's office?" Andi said quickly, not looking up. The boy tapped her on the shoulder.

"Can you repeat that? You were talking too fast, " He signed. Andi's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know. Can you help us bring Cyrus to the nurse's office?" She signed back.

"We're not the strongest. We'd sincerely appreciate it, " Jonah continued. The boy was visibly shocked. He smiled, nodding.

"Just tell me what you need me to do, and if you don't know how to sign it, just say it slowly so I can read your lips, " Andi nodded softly at the other boy.

"I'm Jonah, and that's Andi. "

" TJ."  
\------

Cyrus' eyes fluttered open slowly. He promptly shut them again, courtesy of the harsh light in the room. He felt around the uncomfortably hard surface. He opened his eyes groggily, scanning around the room trying to get his bearings. Once he caught sight of the high amount of weird-sickness related posters and paid attention to the discomfortingly odd scent, he figured out he was in the school nurse's office. He sat up gingerly to see his friends along with two boys. One was talking to Buffy, while the other was gesticulating quickly to Andi and Jonah. Cyrus sat up unsteadily, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms. He came to the realization that the boy with Andi and Jonah was signing. The other boy was with Buffy nervously alternating between speaking and signing. His face was quite red while she had this lovestruck smile on her face.

"So wait, you have two sisters?" Andi signed excitedly, "Nobody I know has any siblings, what's it like??" The boy thought for a moment.

"I both love and hate them at the same time. They get on my nerves, but that's what siblings do. I would do anything for them. I wouldn't be the person I am today without them, "He signed with a tiny loving smile. Andi awed at the sweetness.

"That's so precious, " Jonah awed, "It must be awesome to have a personal set of best friends, "

"Best friends is a bit of a stretch, but yeah. It is, " TJ replied.

"What are their names?? " Andi continued excitedly.

"Libby and Amber, " he answered proudly. Andi's face drained as she watched him gesticulate, eyes enlarging comically. He furrowed his brows in confusion, "Something wrong?" She gulped, pulling up her shirt to reveal the blue soulmark just above her navel, reading I'm Amber, it's nice to meet you, her whole body tensing as he interpreted the symbols. His eyebrows shot up staring at the blue hand signs.

"Guys?" Cyrus groaned weakly. Five heads whipped around to look at him.

"Cyrus! Are you okay? Andi, get the nurse, " Buffy sputtered out. Jonah shook Andi out of her haze. Andi nodded meekly, trudging in the direction of the school's main office. The two boys turned to one another, signing something. They turned to Buffy and Jonah, signing their goodbyes. Buffy waved at them, staring after the brunette. Her head spun around Cyrus, making sure he was alright. The nurse ran into the room with Andi in tow. She scanned over his body for any prominent injuries.

"He doesn't have any broken bones, but his head has a nasty bump. There is also bruising on his back and stomach from the fall. But otherwise, he should be fine. Just make sure his parents know so they can give him painkillers when he gets home, "

"Thank you so much, Dr. Kelly! " Jonah answered.

"Anytime, now you three make sure Cyrus gets home safe, okay?"

"Will do!"  
\------

"Cyrus, don't lie to us. We know how much pain you're in, " Andi said urgently, "Just hitch a ride with one of us, please?"

"I'm fine guys. I can wait for my mom. She won't be too long, "

"Cy, you're anything but fine. You just got bashed in the face by a moron and then passed out! How can you call that fine! " Buffy exploded. She softened at Cyrus' frightened expression, "I'm sorry for yelling, we're just worried about you, you know?"

"I know you guys mean well, but I'm okay, honest! "

"We're not idiots, we know you aren't okay Cyrus, " Jonah said pointedly. Buffy raised her eyebrows at his statement. Andi snickered, covering her mouth with her hand. Jonah glared.

"Correction. We're not all idiots, "

"There you go, that's better! " Buffy tittered while Andi socked her in the arm.

"Buffy, be serious, " Andi stage whispered.

"Sorry, Jonah... " Buffy said half-heartedly.

Jonah rolled his eyes at Buffy.

"Please, at least let one of us take you home, " Jonah pleaded, "It's the least we can do. "

"Guys, I'll be fine. My mom is getting here soon. If anything happens, I'll call you guys, okay?" Buffy glared at him, unconvinced.

"Fine, but you have to call us as soon as you get home, " Andi commanded. Cyrus nodded, crossing his heart. The three friends waved, leaving Cyrus to his lonesome.

Cyrus may have told a bit of a white lie. He knew his mom wouldn't be able to pick him for a while. He decided to walk from the school to the park nearby. Cyrus headed to the swings without hesitation. It was where he went when he was having a bad day. It was where he went when he needed to clear his head. It was his safe space. It was his little bubble of comfort. Cyrus knew he would always be safe there.

He sat down on the swings, rocking back and forth calmly. He could feel the breeze around him as the swing rose higher. He could feel all the stress of the day melting around him. They faded, leaving serenity in its place. The trees swayed in the wind as he swung. Cyrus could feel a little bubble forming around himself. It quickly separated him from the rest of the world.

Suddenly, he heard the patter of footsteps inching towards him. Cyrus could feel the metaphorical bubble pop around him. Cyrus spun around quietly, searching for the cause of the sound. When he turned, he saw one of the boys that were in the nurse's office earlier. Finally getting a good look at the boy, he quickly determined that this was one of the cutest boys he had ever seen. The boy was tall and had dirty blonde swept hair. He had a massive set of droopy laurel-green wide eyes. He almost looked like a little puppy. The boy was approaching him cautiously. He then looked at the swing next to Cyrus and raised his eyebrows. Cyrus nodded with a small smile.

They both sat, swinging in tandem. The tranquility came back. Everything felt right. The fact that another person came into Cyrus' personal safe space and made it still feel just as safe bewildered him. Cyrus stared at the other boy swinging for a while, watching how the boy kept trying to push himself higher, or how his eyes would widen if he ended up getting lower than he wanted to. Not to mention the way he stuck his tongue out when he tried to get back to where he was before. Serene energy radiated off him in waves. The boy was breathtaking.

All of a sudden, the green-eyed boy skidded his feet on the ground, bringing the swing to a harsh stop. Cyrus broke out of his fuzzy trance, attempting to regain his bearings. Cyrus slowed to a halt as well and focused his gaze on him. The boy then looked up and gazed into Cyrus' eyes. Cyrus couldn't stop staring. The boy's eyes were captivating in a way that Cyrus had never seen before. He could stare at them for hours and never get bored. He was sure of it. The boy moved his hands, and it almost seemed to be in slow-motion.

"Holy-"

Oh my god.

Cyrus' heart was practically beating out of his chest. His eyes were frantically flipping back and forth between the boy's hands and his eyes.

"...mother of god- "

Ba bum.  
Ba bum.  
Ba bum.

"...he's so cute, " The green-eyed boy signed quickly.

Cyrus stared blankly. He could feel the heat seeping from his hip and covering his whole body. His skin might as well have been on fire. He was in complete shock, staring at the boy in wonder. His heart was beating so quickly he could hardly hear himself breathe. The boy had kept signing, but Cyrus could barely even focus on himself at the moment.

"I'm so sorry about Reed. Marty and I should've stepped up sooner, he was awful to you and your friends, and none of you deserved-" the boy stopped, taking in Cyrus' dazed expression.

"Are you okay?" he signed, much more paced. Cyrus still couldn't respond. He released his grip on the thick, heavy metal of the chains. He had no clue what to say or do. The boy's eyes widened, looking down at his hands. His eyes migrated back up to Cyrus, face paling.

" You have no idea what I'm saying at all. Fuck, I forgot that most people don't understand sign language- " he rambled aimlessly.

"It's you."

The boy sucked in a breath, staring at Cyrus' lips. His eyes welled up with tears, green eyes glazing over. He smiled fondly, letting out a hushed laugh.

"Oh, crap I'm such an idiot. Shit, I'm supposed to be signing now, aren't I? I am so sorry I promise I'm not always this dumb, " Cyrus rambled, panicking at his previous actions.

Cyrus froze once he heard a burst of laughter. It sounded angelic. He looked up at the boy as he threw his head back, with tears in his glassy eyes. Cyrus smiled so wide that his entire face ached. He could not seem to get over how astonishing his soulmate was. He could stare at this boy for years and never get tired. Cyrus laughed along with him, love-struck. Cyrus focused hard on his movements and slowly starting gesturing to the boy.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Cyrus, " He signed, still shaken up over the whole ordeal.

The boy looked beyond shocked that Cyrus could sign. He gazed into Cyrus' eyes with a big smile covering his face.

"I'm TJ, " he signed shakily, taken aback by everything that had just occurred. Cyrus broke out into a smile and then giggled again. TJ let out a shy smile and laughed too. He pulled the hem of his shirt down to reveal his collarbone, where his now purple mark resided. Cyrus' eyes fixated on it. The violet script made it all seem so much more real. His eyes flickered back and forth between TJ's eyes and the mark, having trouble putting his focus in one place. Cyrus gazed at TJ with his chocolate brown eyes, raising his eyebrows. TJ nodded timidly. Cyrus reached out to touch the writing. His fingers grazed the deep purple script on TJ's skin softly, still in awe, eyes glued to it. TJ sighed in contentment. Cyrus giggled again, smiling through the happy tears welling up in his eyes. He pressed his head against TJ's chest, nuzzling the taller boy.

"God, I just can't believe you're real, " Cyrus laughed breathlessly.

TJ watched his lips as he spoke to interpret the words. He smiled, smitten with the shorter boy. It was like he was in a trance. Cyrus pulled back from his chest. TJ then looked at Cyrus, to his mark, and then shifted back to Cyrus with his eyebrows raised. Cyrus' eyes widened.

"Oh, yeah. Of course-" Cyrus stuttered in understanding.

He then stood up, pulling up his button-down shirt and dragged his pants over his hip so that the mark was visible. TJ's eyes widened as he saw the moving hand signals in the beautiful deep violet color. He reached out, looking at Cyrus for approval before continuing, who nodded. He then slowly ran his fingers over it, in complete awe. Cyrus contently hummed in response, causing a small vibration that TJ felt, provoking a smile. TJ moved his fingers faster. Cyrus squirmed, giggling again. TJ beamed, tickling him vigorously. Cyrus yelped, falling backward into the grass.

" No TJ stop! I'm, " Cyrus snorted, barking out laughter, "I'm so ticklish it's not even funny!" TJ snickered at his disheveled appearance. TJ smiled and muttered out.

"Giggle, " TJ slurred brokenly. Cyrus froze, sitting up instantly. The tone barely made sense, but Cyrus stared at TJ, enamored by the sound of his voice.

"God wow, I love your voice, " Cyrus spoke, mesmerized. Cyrus paused once he recognized what he had just said. His brain to mouth filter was out the window at this point. TJ flushed as he read his lips, hiding his eyes in the heels of his palms. Cyrus reached out and ran his fingers over TJ's hand. He peeked out warily. Cyrus smiled lovingly.

"Adorable, " Cyrus muttered out. TJ squeaked, covering himself up again. Cyrus layered his hand on top of TJ's, laughing. TJ slowly peeked out again.

"Giggle, "He repeated.

Cyrus stopped and looked at TJ, eyebrows furrowed. TJ pointed at him, proceeding to gesticulate. He fake-laughed on the last word.

"My sign name is Giggle?" Cyrus interpreted. TJ smiled and nodded proudly. Cyrus swooned at his pleased expression.

Cyrus' phone buzzed. He took it out and checked the message, reading the brief heads up from his mother. Cyrus hiked his pants back up and pushed his shirt back down. He held his hand out to TJ, who gladly took it and pulled himself up. Cyrus started signing quicker, feeling more confident in his actions now that he knew TJ wouldn't judge him.

"My Mom's here, " Cyrus said downcast, " Walk with me?" TJ nodded eagerly. He walked alongside Cyrus, a permanent smile etched onto his face. They both had a new found spring in their step, hands brushing as they strolled. The two boys could feel the sparks flying as their knuckles grazed one another. Both were too flustered to meet the other's eyes. The two shared curious and nervous glances, eyes almost meeting, but not quite there. They finally reached the car, and Cyrus turned around, locking their eyes. Cyrus gazed down and reached for TJ's hand, running his thumb over TJ's knuckles. Cyrus looked back up to TJ's face, giggling softly at the angry red blush in the apples of his cheeks. He squinted and advanced closer to TJ's face. TJ could feel his face heating up as the smaller brunette inched closer. Cyrus' eyes widened, signing out a word.

"Freckles, " Cyrus signed, staring in awe.

TJ' face scrunched up in perplexity. Cyrus giggled. He cupped TJ's face, running his thumb just under his eyelid. TJ leaned into the soft and gentle hands, a small smile on his lips.

"Your sign name, freckles, "

Oh.

Oh.

The blood rushed to his face so fast that he could feel himself growing lightheaded and his knees getting weak. He shoved his face downward, hiding it in his hands. Cyrus chuckled lightly, gently grasping TJ's wrists, pulling them back from his strawberry red cheeks. A set of laurel-green eyes met chocolate brown. Cyrus smiled smugly and softly pecked TJ on the cheek. TJ froze. The dirty blonde stared dumbfounded after the other boy. Cyrus let go of his hand.

"See you tomorrow, Okay?" Cyrus signed playfully. TJ nodded robotically, feeling the other boy's hand leave his.

" Yeah, of course, " his hands fumbled in his flustered state, "Take care," Cyrus smiled and ran his fingers over TJ's collarbone through his shirt. TJ hummed out softly, making the chocolate-eyed boy giggle again. TJ smiled softly and signed.

"See you tomorrow Cyrus, " Cyrus giggled yet again.

"Bye TJ."  
\------

TJ ran home as fast as he could, pulling the door open and running upstairs so fast he almost fell flat on his face. He grabbed his phone, joining a call with the Sign Squad and Amber.

"Guys, you won't believe what just happened-" TJ signed excitedly.

"Let me guess. Did you find your soulmate? " Marty replied blankly.

" Yeah! I- wait, how did you know that? You weren't there were you? God, I was a wreck- " TJ rambled.

"Everyone else just found theirs, " Libby cut TJ off. TJ stopped, confused.

"Really? "

"Yeah! She's the cutest thing ever. I wasn't expecting it at all, " Marty signed, lovestruck, "She's so confident and strong and I just- Wow, " TJ grinned, remembering how Marty was acting towards the girl back in the nurses' office.

" I froze when she said it. I didn't know how to answer her. She thought it was cute, and then gave me a sign name, " Amber awed.

"That's so cute! See Marty, she already likes you, " Marty grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What sign name did she give you?" TJ asked.

"M party. We met at a party before, but we never talked. I remember trying to talk to her, but I didn't know how, "

Amber awed. Marty's sheepish grin quickly reverted to a smirk.

"So, what about you Libby?" Marty teased. Libby stared off dreamily into the distance. She shot up once she noticed that nobody else was signing.

"Sorry, what did you say? " She signed, out of it. The three laughed at her.

"Tell us about your soulmate, " TJ signed to Libby. Libby's eyes shut hazily.

"When I met him, I said his smile was cute. When he answered, my mark starting burning and I flipped out. Jonah was so sweet, he signed as well as he could. He messed up sometimes, but he was trying his best. I just wanna hug him forever, " she signed.

"Aww, look who's lovesick, " Marty teased. Libby rolled her eyes, flipping him off with a smile. Marty and Libby looked to Amber, who was practically revving.

"Something you wanna say, Amber?" Libby signed, raising her brows in amusement. Amber bit her lip, nodding vigorously. Marty snorted.

"Go ahead, "

"Okay so, my soulmate is the cutest person ever. She has black short hair, and holy crap her style! She's one of those people that if they punched you, you would pay them 20 dollars, you know? Not only that, she's so crafty, it's so precious. She offered to make me a bracelet!! I almost fainted from sheer cuteness! When we first met, she reached out to shake my hand. I tried to hold it, " Marty, Libby, and TJ shared looks, snickering.

"Seriously, you held it? " Libby laughed.

"Before you knew? "TJ signed with a smile.

"Yep, I'm a disaster, " Amber replied proudly.

" TJ's awfully quiet, any reason for that? " Libby said.

All three heads shot to TJ. They raised their eyebrows knowingly. TJ groaned, ducking his face in his pillow. He grabbed the nearest hoodie he could find, pulling the oversized pink fabric over his head. TJ tugged the strings, covering his face. After a while, he peeked his head out to meet three eager faces.

"Fine. I met Cyrus at the swings earlier. Of all things I signed ' Holy mother of god he's cute, and his face completely changed, " Amber awwed, while Marty laughed at TJ's flustered state.

"He kept saying cute shit and making me blush. I was a total mess, "

"More of a mess than me? " Amber questioned.

"He gave me a sign name, and I almost lost it. I short-circuited Amber, " TJ whined, "Not only that, the flirting, the hand holding..." TJ huffed, " I was a puddle. It was a mess, "

"Wait what was it TJ? Please, you can trust us. I'm sure it's adorable, " Amber pleaded, batting her eyelashes.

"Nope, that's not happening, "

"Come on dude, please?" Marty pouted.

"Never, not in a million years," TJ said smugly, " but, I did give him a sign name, " TJ said, trying to distract them. Amber gasped.

"What was it??" She signed giddily.

"Giggle, " TJ signed quickly, reddening.

"THAT'S SO SWEET TJ-"

All of a sudden, a notification appeared on all four of their screens.

"GHC+Jonah" Requested to Join "ss and amber (kinda)" on Videochat, Accept?

Libby jumped at the sight of her soulmate's name, accepting the request without hesitation. Four new faces appeared in the chat with them.

"Hi, Libby! " Jonah smiled.

"Jonah! Nice to see you again! "

"You look beautiful, " Jonah signed shakily. Libby smiled.

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself, "

"What? Jonah that's so not fair. She can use your sign name but we can't?" Buffy signed, exasperated. Andi laughed at Buffy's ridiculousness, eyes widening when she saw Amber.

"Hey, Amber!!" She said excitedly.

"God wow, you are so gorgeous. Oh, shit- hey Andi, what's up?!" Amber replied clumsily. Andi snickered, smiling at her fondly.

"I started making your bracelet!! I didn't know what colors were your favorite, so I used pink because it brings out your eyes, "

"Wait really? Oh my gosh thank you so much, that's so sweet, " Amber gushed. Buffy snorted at the disaster that was Ambi. She fixed her attention to her soulmate, who was staring at her unabashed.

" Hey Marty, " Buffy said teasingly. He shot up, shaking out of his trance.

"Hi, I-um...Hey?" Marty said nervously, "You're-Wow you're really pretty. "Buffy sighed at his dopey expression, smirking.

"Cute, " She mumbled softly.  
"Sorry, what was that?"  
"Nothing, " Buffy signed with a grin. 

"Hi, " Cyrus signed. TJ's face flushed, fixing the strings of his sweatshirt, like a deer in the headlights. He tugged the rest of his head out from his hood. Cyrus giggled at his disheveled appearance.

" Hey Cy, you got home okay? "

"Yeah, I did, thank you for asking, " Cyrus signed sweetly.

"Cyrus! You have to tell us what sign name you gave TJ! " Amber signed frantically. Cyrus raised a brow.

"Why's that?"

"TJ won't tell us, "

"I hope I didn't give you one you don't like, "

"No! No, god no. I love it, I just, got flustered, " TJ said, embarrassed. Cyrus smirked.

"Oh really now? " Cyrus said with a smug expression on his face. TJ whined, defeated.

"God, not you too, "

"It's freckles, "

"What do freckles have to do with anything? " Marty and Jonah signed at the same time.

"His sign name. It's freckles, "

"AWW, TJ THAT'S SO CUTE, " Amber shrieked while signing.

"By the way, TJ?"

" Yeah? " He signed nervously.

"You look cute in pink. Sweater paws are a good look on you," Cyrus signed, waiting for TJ's inevitable reaction. He squeaked, blood rushing to his face. TJ hid his face in his hands. The other four burst out laughing while Cyrus smiled lovingly. They all could tell that this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Sometimes, gestures really do speak louder than words.


End file.
